Brexit: Poots tasks officials to do Article 16 prep work

Goods can flow freely across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic

Northern Ireland's agriculture minister has tasked his officials with preparing for the triggering of Article 16.

Edwin Poots said there is a "significant chance" Article 16 of the NI Protocol will be triggered soon.

On Tuesday, Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Leo Varadkar said the Republic of Ireland is making "contingency plans" in the event of the UK government triggering Article 16.

There is speculation the UK will act due to a stalemate with the EU.

EU Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic is expected to brief EU ambassadors later about his meeting with UK Brexit Minister Lord Frost as well as ongoing talks.

The triggering of Article 16 would result in some parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol being suspended.

The protocol is the special Brexit deal agreed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.

It keeps Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods and allows free-flowing trade with the EU.

But it also creates a trade border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Edwin Poots called for the EU to be "respectful" of Northern Irelands place within the UK

Mr Poots said Article 16 needed to be triggered in order for negotiations with the EU to continue.

"It is for the EU to choose whether they want a trade battle or whether they want to treat Northern Ireland with respect," the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MLA told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.

"Thus far they haven't treated Northern Ireland with respect and they have forced our businesses, and indeed our consumers, to be deprived of goods that would normally be available in their own country by creating a false premise about the single market.

"We can quite easily ensure the integrity of a single market by taking the appropriate steps in Northern Ireland to ensure that goods don't enter the European Union that don't meet their standards."

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The minister called for the EU to be "respectful" of Northern Ireland's position within the UK and to "work with Northern Ireland and the UK in ensuring that the goods entering the EU are goods that are manufactured to their standards".

Mr Poots said his party has been pressing the UK government to trigger Article 16 "for some time".

"I have my officials looking at the operational command paper to see how we would respond if Article 16 was introduced, and therefore it's something I believe that has a significant chance of happening."

His comments come after Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill called on the UK government to "remove the threat to trigger Article 16" on Tuesday.

"What we need to find is solutions and stability, certainly not another period of instability," said Ms O'Neill.

Last week, the European Commission vice-president warned of "serious consequences" if the UK triggered Article 16.

Mr Sefcovic said the move would be "serious for Northern Ireland as it would lead to instability and unpredictability".

His comments followed a meeting with the UK's Brexit minister in Brussels over the protocol dispute.